Gentle Waves
by IzumiYagami14
Summary: On the night before the anniversary of Trollstice, Poppy always finds herself at the same pier with the same troll... Will their relationship grow...? First two chapters take place before the movie and the last takes place after. Broppy. Please review!
1. Crickets and Constellations

Gentle Waves

A Broppy fanfic

Chapter 1

Light from the full moon above casted into the pink pod hanging from the tree. A pair of pink eyes shot open and a small groan escaped her lips. Poppy struggled to fall asleep as she tossed and turned in her bed. Finally admitting defeat, she quietly got out of bed and headed toward her window. The sound of the harmonious crickets played outside as she rested her arm on the windowsill.

"If only I could go to sleep…" she whispered to herself. "I'm just so excited about the party tomorrow night." she sighed, looking out the window. Tomorrow the whole village is going to celebrate 19 years of being saved from the Bergens and finally being free in their new home.

Maybe counting puffalos will help her sleep? _No_… Maybe a nice warm drink will ease her mind? _Definitely not_… Maybe talking a walk through the village will calm her nerves. She walked to her door and climbed down from her pod. After dusting herself off, Poppy started her journey.

She never realized how calming the village was at night. A warm breeze swept through and the crickets continued their mystical melodies. Poppy looked up to see the countless stars above her head. With the trees covering most of the beautiful sky, she continued to walk further away from the village. "Maybe I can find a better view of the sky…" she muttered as she cautiously tiptoed through the forest.

She would never admit it, but she always was thankful that Branch was a cautious troll. Because of his constant alertness, she appreciated safety, especially wandering the forest by herself at night.

Eventually, Poppy found herself by the beach just outside of the village. It had a clear view of the night sky and it looked so peaceful. _I guess I could stay out here for a whil_e, she thought as she slowly walked over to one of the piers._ I just wish I wasn't out here by myself_…

Her eyes caught a glance of the pier. Squinting her eyes, she barely made out a dark figure sitting on the edge. Poppy took an uneasy breath and reluctantly walked over. Her increasing heartbeat mixed in with the shaking of the pier with each step. Once near the end of the pier, she saw a dark haired troll who was sitting with his legs crossed as he looked at gentle waves that were slightly rocking the pier.

Branch did not hear the tiptoes on the pier for they blended together with the chirping of crickets in the night air, both creating one sound together. Poppy quietly approached the troll, careful so she wouldn't get caught. Once fully behind him, she crouched down to his level and took a deep breath. "Hiya, Branch!" she screamed from behind him.

He jumped abruptly, so startled that he almost fell into the lake. Nature followed suit as the fish underneath them scurried off and the birds above frantically flapped away from her voice.

"Hey, Poppy! Would you keep it down? Do you want to wake up the entire village?" Branch said as he regained his position. He looked to the right of him to see if his journal survived the scare.

"Relax, silly; it's just me!" Poppy giggled. She craned herself over Branch's hunched body so her upside down face was inches from his. "No need to be a Mr. Grumpy Gills." She reached her arms around to try to pinch his cheeks.

"Mr. Grumpy Gi... you know what, never mind," he muttered, avoiding her gaze as he lightly swatted her hands away.

"What are you still doing up?" She curiously asked him, moving to his side and plopping herself down to the left of him.

He didn't even turn his head to respond. He brought his legs up to his chest and stiffly responded, "I can't sleep." Poppy's brow scrunched inward at his vague answer. She mimicked him as she brought her legs to her chest and rested the side of her head on her knees, looking at the troll. He looked too focused on the water to catch any sleep.

"Oh, because you're in deep thought writing in your journal?" Her question teasing him as she looked out onto the dimly lit lake. Lights from other pods shined onto the water, creating little white dots in the tree line.

"No," was the only word that fell from his mouth as he quickly scooted his journal behind him. Branch placed his head in his hands. Sighing heavily, he rubbed his aching head. He swiftly ran his fingers through his blak hair and went back to his thoughts, looking down at the water below.

She moved her gaze from the tiny lights down to the water, looking at her reflection. "Why can't you sleep?"

"It's complicated," irritation hung in his voice as her face grew with concern.

Biting her lips, different explanations of his lack of sleep ran through her head. Curiosity flooded her mind, pouring out of her when she responded, "You don't have to always keep it inside. You know you could always talk to me."

When her words touched his pointed ears, he twisted his head towards her. The light from the moon lit her face as a breeze swept through. She carelessly looked out at the forest trees in the distance, completely unaware of Branch's lingering gaze. The sight of her had him completely mesmerized, leaving him breathless. He was completely lost in words, but eventually, he shook his head and stuttered, "I just have a hard time falling asleep during this time of year. I have tried every possibility to fix this, but no matter how hard I try, I never succeed. So, I just stopped trying. Some nights are more difficult than others, but I have to manage it."

Poppy looked at the tired troll next to her. "Like insomnia, right?" She whispered through her tiny lips as Branch went back to sitting criss-cross.

"Not exactly," he said back to her with his gaze now focused on his hands in his lap. "It only happens during this time of the year. That's why I come out here. I like to listen to the steady waves. Helps keep me calm."

The gentle waves echoes through the air. "Does anyone know about this?" She asked, looking at him. His blue eyes were closed and his ears were perked up a bit trying to hear the slow rolling waves brush against the shore. She wondered if she is the only one that knows. She thought that everyone in Troll Village slept soundly every night.

"Of course not," he replied, opening his eyes and gazing back at her. "I don't really have anyone to talk to about it. I didn't want to be a burden, really. I feel like it's an inner struggle I have to conquer myself."

Humming in response, she desperately wanted to ask him what that inner struggle was, but she decided to save that for another night. Instead, Poppy looked up at the clear night sky and asked, "Do know any constellations? I came out here to get a better view of the stars..."

Thankful she was changing the subject, he smirked and said, "As a matter of fact, I know a couple." Observing the star filled sky, he raised his right finger up, pointing diagonally left towards her. "You see the five stars that kind of resemble an M?"

Poppy squinted as she scooted closer to Branch, their legs barely touching one another. "Yeah, I see it," she replied, eventually finding it.

"That's Cassiopeia. And that one over there? That's Draco. But you see the bright star in the sky?" He glanced down at her.

"Yeah?" She questioned, eyes focused on the star at the end of his finger.

"That's actually the planet Venus," he finished.

Poppy's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?"

"Yeah. There is actually an ancient myth between Venus and Mars," he replied as he continued to gaze at the planet.

"Please tell the story, Branch," she pleaded, propping her head in her hands ready to listen.

"Well... Venus was the goddess of love and beauty. She attracted many with her pleasant smile and beautiful features. She fell in love with Mars, the god of war, however, she was already married to the graceless Vulcan, the god of fire," he looked back down at her saddened face.

"Oh no... what happened?" She looked at him with a gleam of a star in her eyes.

"Well, once a year, Venus will catch up with her mythological mate until they meet. After their reunion, Venus continues with her fast movement to move to the east each night, leaving her slow red lover behind."

"Incredible,"she whispered out to the mysterious night.

"Yeah, pretty crazy," Branch whispered as he looked down at her, his mind now realizing how close they were.

Silence filled the air between them, but was disrupted when unaware Poppy decided to speak.

"We should do this again..." Poppy yawned, stretching both her arms outward and almost knocking Branch in the face. She looked up at him with her drowsy pink eyes. "Whenever that would be, I guess."

"Yeah, we should," he stiffly responded, not really knowing how to respond to the princess.

"Promise?" She whispered as she gently placed her head on his shoulder. Part of her hair delicately fell over part of her cheek as she closed her eyes.

Branch's breath hitch as he looked down at the troll sitting next to him, eyes widened at her action. A light blush lingered on his cheeks, not knowing how to react. "Promise," he eventually managed to muster. He continued to look down at the sleeping troll beside him because he was too afraid that she would wake up if he moved.


	2. MusicAndMagneticPull

A Broppy fanfic

Chapter 2

Mystic melodies drifted in the quiet night, harmonious to the crickets chirping around. The voice lingered through the summer breeze before disappearing from sight. They fell from ear shot of all the trolls sleeping in Troll Village, except one...

A pair of soft pink eyes slowly patted open, drowsy and droopy from the sudden wake of slumber. Her hands rose and carelessly rubbed them open as the pink troll sat up. The mysterious voice that lingered around perked her pointy ears, causing Poppy to slowly unravel herself from her bed. As she quietly stood up, she turned her head slightly from one direction to the other in search for the source. Careful not to make any noise, she quietly left her pod and landed on the soft grass beneath.

_"Today is a winding road; Tell me where to start and tell me something I don't know. Today I'm on my own; I can't move a muscle and I can't pick up the phone. I don't know..."_

"I wonder who is singing at this time of night. I've never heard this voice before," she whispered to herself as she cautiously tiptoed through the forest and searched throughout the village. The beautiful voice was getting louder with each step she took. She finally found herself at the beach on the other side of the village.

_"And now I'm itching for the tall grass and longing for the breeze. I need to step outside just to see if I can breathe. I gotta find a way out. Maybe there's a way out..."_

Poppy looked over at the pier that was bringing her back old memories. The moonlight mapped out a silhouette of a troll sitting at the end of the dock.

_"Yeah, I'm walking on a tightrope. I'm wrapped up in vines. I think we'll make it out, but you just gotta give me time. Strike me down with lightning. Let me feel you in my veins. I wanna let you know how much I feel your pain..."_

As if in some magnetically pull, Poppy walked over to the pier and took a deep breath. _Is that...?_

_"Today is a winding road that's taking me to places that I didn't want to go..."_

The still lake water on both sides of them echoed of the waves from earlier that day, but the troll's attention was too focused on his singing to notice.

_"Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer. Do you know you're unlike any other? You'll always be my thunder. And I said, your eyes are the brightest of all the colors. I don't wanna ever love another. You'll always be my thunder..."_

After he finished singing, Poppy quietly peeked over the troll's tense shoulders. "Hey, Branch."

Startled, he whipped his head around and came face to face with her. He took a breath of relief when he realized it was her, but then hitched when he realized how incredibly close her face was. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he twisted his head forward and back to the treeline. "Oh, hi, Poppy," he stammered. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just thought I'd take a walk around the village," she lied as she stretched her arms. "Got another big day tomorrow…"

"You really shouldn't be throwing all these parties…" Branch said quietly, his face starting to sag.

"It'll be fine! The 20th anniversary of being Bergen-free is going to be the greatest yet!" She walked to the left side of him as Branch rolled his eyes. "I'm glad I found you, though. You promised me that we could do this again, remember?" Poppy's eyes beamed at the seated troll as she stood next to him.

Branch exhaled, "Oh, that's right..." he sounded more irritated than he felt.

"Well, If you're busy, I could just leave..." Poppy whispered, turning her feet to leave.

"No, wait!" Before he knew what he was doing, he whipped his arm around and caught her hand. She turned her eyes to meet his, causing the blood to rush to his cheeks. _What are you doing?_ He thought to himself as his practical brain went blank. "Uh... uh... stay, Poppy... I appreciate your company..."

Poppy chuckled at his embarrassed face and grabbed his hand that was still on hers. "Really?" She asked, her face lit up from his plea.

His face was red, turning it away from hers to avoid her gaze. His stomach started fluttering inside when he realized that they're hands were still interlocked. _Why are you feeling like this?_ his brain continuously asked as he mustered, "Yeah..."

She tightened her grip on his hand and exclaimed, "Awesome." Poppy promptly took her rightful seat to the left of the troll. She looked at the space between them, noticing this year it seemed to get smaller. _Maybe that's a good thing_?

Branch scoffed at her comment and glanced down at his journal to the right of him. He was getting better at talking with her over the year. Poppy was hoping that tonight would be one of those nights, but luck was not on her side.

She enjoyed his company. She was never admit, but sometimes it was nice to get away from all the noise back in the village. She moved her eyes down to the water below, staring at her clear reflection. "The lake sure looks peaceful tonight," she said to her reflection, hoping that it would reach the troll's ears.

"Mhmm," he hummed as he stopped writing in his journal for a second to look out.

"Nature sure is beautiful here..."

"Mhmm... wait, what are you doing?!" Branch yelled. He saw Poppy adjusting her seating position so she could have her feet dangle off the pier.

"I'm going to dip my toes in the water," she shushed him as she cautiously placed one foot in after the other.

"I don't think that's sanitary..." he stuttered, watching her calm reaction of the chill hitting her feet.

"Relax, it's not like we're going to go swimming..." she laughed. "Wow, this water feels amazing. It's so relaxing... you should try it, Branch," Poppy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"No thanks. I feel perfectly safe with my feet on dry land" Branch argued, crossing his arms.

Poppy placed her hands together in a begging position and looked at him with her big pink eyes. "_Pleeeeeease_?"

He looked at her and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he huffed as he clumsily moved to sit with his legs forward. Placing his journal carefully down behind him so it wouldn't fall in the water, he held his breath and solicitously stuck his feet into the cold lake.

He looked over at Poppy, whose eyes were closed again as she took another deep breath. "I feel like this air is cleaning my lungs," she breathed.

He sighed as he continued to gaze at her. "Yeah, there's a significant amount of trees around here, creating oxygen. It's making it less of a struggle to breathe." He moved his feet steadily with the water, creating ripples with every move. He loved the sound of the gentle water.

_Yeah, struggle... _she thought to herself, opening her eyes and looking out at the tree lines. She remembered something Branch said the first night they were here...

_I feel like it's an inner struggle I have to conquer myself._

"And how's that 'inner struggle' going? Have you conquered it yet?" Poppy tilted her head towards him in curiosity, deciding now was the best time to ask.

The rhythmic movement of his feet abruptly stopped and Branch stared at his reflection below. Visions of that dreadful night replayed in his head like a broken record player. His breathing slowed as his pale lips dried up. He felt like he jumped in the deep end of the lake and forgot how to swim. No matter how much he tried, he could not move.

"Branch... Branch... BRANCH!" Poppy yelled at him and shook a hand in front of his face to snap him out of it. His reaction terrified her. "Are you ok?"

He shook his head and ran his fingers swiftly through his black hair, "Yeah, it's nothing..."

"I doesn't seem like just 'nothing,'" she glanced up at him.

"It's fine..."

"Branch, what's wrong?"

He looked down at Poppy's concerned face, remembering what she said the first night they were here...

_You don't have to always keep it inside. You know you could always talk to me._

Branch inhaled deeply and thought long and hard for what he was going to say next. "Well... you know how I can't sleep at night during this time of year...?"

"Yeah?"

"Well... um... when I was very young, before we escaped the Bergens... I dealt with this... problem... by myself."

"Not being able to sleep?"

"Correct..." he froze, not exactly knowing how to word the next part. "And I cant sleep during this time of year… cause it's around the time…" A sting hit the back of his eyes, but he dare not let the tears fall, especially in front of Poppy. "I lost my parents to the Bergens..."

Poppy's eyes widened and she brought a hand to her mouth, "Your..."

"Yeah..." he stopped her before she could finish. "I lost them..."

Water filled Poppy's glassy eyes and her expression changed from concerned to comforting. "I'm sorry, Branch. I had no idea..."

"It's alright." Branch whispered softly and looked down at his hands.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked him. Her heart tugged for the troll. She just wanted to make him feel better.

He let out a sorrowful sigh and looked out onto the lake. "No, Poppy. It's okay... I'm kind of glad that I'm talking about it though. I feel like you are the only one I can talk to."

She placed a hand on his and looked up at the distraught troll. "I know it must be very hard on you, especially on days like today, but I hope you know that you're not alone. You will never be alone..."

"Yeah, I know..." he managed to choke out and looked down her gratefully. "Thank you."

"I'll always be here for you, Branch. If you ever need to talk about anything. _Anything_. Just let me know," she gently squeezed his hand and gave a little smile.

He inhaled a long, unsettling breath and let it out. He gathered up all his nerves to say what was on his mind. "I've always had a difficult time opening up to others, but for some reason, I never really had a hard time opening up to you," Branch admitted to the princess sitting next to him.

The pair froze as their eyes interlocked with one another. Branch was definitely sure that Poppy could hear his heart racing. Time seemed to stop as the two drew closer to each other. They shared the same anxious breath and it was until then that Poppy moved her head to Branch's shoulder.

Flustered by their mysterious magnetic pull, Poppy thought it would be best if she ended their conversation for the night. "Goodnight, Branch."

He let out an unknowingly held breath and replied, "Goodnight, Poppy."

Branch's heart dropped to his stomach as he looked at the sleeping troll on his shoulder. The moonlight brushed against her face, making her seem like an angel. As he was mesmerized by her natural beauty, realization hit him. _Am I... in love...?_


	3. LullabyAndLove

A Broppy fanfic

Chapter 3

A pair of feet walked down the long pier, giving it a slight shake with each step. Darkness from the sky casted over the still lake with stunning stars sparkling all around the water. Once she reached the end, Poppy saw the older troll sitting with his journal opened on his lap and pencil in hand. He always seemed so focused whenever he was writing, sticking his tongue out with every word he wrote. She held in a chuckle at the sight. Peaking over his shoulder quietly, she leaned down and playfully whispered his ear softly, "Hey, Branch."

Goosebumps rose on Branch's skin as he felt his face get hotter. Without turning his head, his blue eyes glanced to the left where Poppy's voice invaded his ear. His pencil instantly stopped moving on his journal from her presence. Too afraid to twist his head to face her, he simply muttered, "Hi, Poppy..."

She giggled at his flustered reaction and walked over to the edge of the pier. With her toes curled over the edge of the wooden dock, she took a deep, needed breath of the pine air and started to hum a tune. Branch glanced up at the troll next to him, trying to figure out what song she was humming as he silently admired her. After everything that happened during their adventure in Bergentown, she was still the happiest troll in Troll Village.

Poppy stopped and stretched her arms outwards, twisting her hip to look down at the boy troll. Their split second shared eye contact caused Branch to immediately advert his eyes downward at his journal. With a heart filled sigh, she took her rightful seat to the left of him. She noticed that his feet were already soaking in the chilly water as she dipped her toes in. The ripples from the two pairs of feet collided with one another, causing complete chaos with every movement they made.

She watched as Branch placed his journal to the side, leaned back with both of his hands propping him up, and looked out at the tree line. From the three years they have had this "tradition" as she would call it, he seems to have matured a lot. She recalls the very first night where he was all dark and quiet. But now, he seems like he has stepped out of his comfort zone, grey skin now teal and black hair now blue.

She followed suit and leaned back, propping herself up with her hands. Their hands barely touched each other as she looked out at the line of pine trees and said, "Sure is peaceful tonight..."

Branch nodded in agreement, eyes still fixated on the other side of the lake. Poppy looked over at him again, watching his expressions. His face was more full of color and relaxed and his blue hair was fuller, but, for the first time in his life, Branch seemed to be finally at peace with himself. When she realized that her gaze was held a second longer than normal, a light pink blush brushed lightly against her cheeks as she moved her gaze upward. The stars above somehow managed to amaze her more each time she was out here. She wished she could pack all of the stars and stuff them in her suitcase to bring home with her.

Taking her feet out of the water below, Poppy twisted her body so her back was to boy troll. Branch looked over to the queen, confused and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Relax, silly. I just want a better view of the stars," she replied as she laid down, resting her head on Branch's left leg. She stretched out her legs, so they were dangling off the edge of the pier and looked up at him. Even though it was dark out, the bright red tint that was scattered on his face was highly noticeable. She smiled and looked up at the stars.

She was right; she did have a better view of the starry night sky. Remembering the constellations that Poppy would point out to her every night, she whispered, "Wow... it's so beautiful..."

Branch looked down at the troll on his lap, eyes softened and subconsciously said, "Yeah..."

Her eyes darted from one star to the other until they finally landed on the bright light in the sky she was looking for. "Hey, look! There's Venus!" Poppy exclaimed in delight, pointing her finger at the planet.

Branch looked up to where she was pointing and smiled. "Hey, yeah. You're right."

She giggled at the sight and said, "I wonder where her love Mars is..."

He sighed with his arms still propping himself up. "Approaching her very soon, actually..."

The two sat in silence with the sound of summer cicadas hovering in the air. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, it was just a little awkward. Poppy closed her eyes and let out a long breath. Branch glanced down at her again, noticing that a piece of her hair was out of place and covering the corner of her eye. Out of impulse, he began to reach his right hand out toward her head and delicately brushed it away.

Poppy opened her eyes to the action and looked at the troll above her. "Hey, Branch?" She curiously asked.

"Yeah?" He replied, hunched over her, trying to analyze her facial expression to see what she was going to say next.

"Have you ever kissed someone?" She whispered, still maintaining her solid eye contact from his lap.

Flustered, Branch immediately looked away. His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach and he could feel his body warming up from his nervousness. "Uh... I don't know..."

"You don't know? It's a yes or no question." Her eyes narrowed as she continued to stare intensely at him.

Branch raised his right hand and nervously scratched his cheek with his finger. "Well then, no I guess..."

Poppy rested her hands on her stomach and giggled at his response. "Very interesting, my young troll..." She thought long and hard for what she was going to ask next. "Sooooo... who do you have a crush on?"

He exhaled his unknowingly held breath and said, "I think you already know who it is, Poppy..." He moved his gaze from the cabin lights across the lake to the fireflies fluttering around.

"Oh really, Branch? You never told me..." Poppy looked down at her hands. "And here I thought you said that you never really had a hard time opening up to me," she teased, moving her eyes to him. The sight of Branch trying to avoid her eyes made her chuckle.

"Uh... Can we not talk about this please? Oh, I know... How about we both go for a swim?" He attempted to change the subject.

Her eyes narrowed, confused at his suggestion. "I thought you said that the water was unsanitary," she teased him again, thinking about what he said last year.

"The water's fine!"

"Don't try to change the subject, ya goof. You're very funny when you're flustered."

He crossed his arms in defense and finally looked down at her. "Well, you're the one to talk. Everyone already knows that you liked Creek, so I can't ask you the same question."

Poppy looked at him confused again, this time, lifting her head up and moving herself back to her regular seated position. "Branch, I never had a crush on Creek"

"You... you didn't?"

"Nope..."

_"Ever?"_

"No, sireeee."

"Oh..." was all he could say for he was in disbelief that his calculations were incorrect. He unfolded his crossed arms and looked down at his reflection, unable to say anything.

A long, awkward pause stayed in the air between them. Poppy decided to break the silence. "You still up for a swim?" Branch shook his head in response. "Okay, we can save that for another time, then."

Poppy looked out at the lake with Branch, both of their toes in the chilly water. The bright moon above them was the only light that kept them from total darkness, mapping out their silhouettes. She took a breath and said to the older troll next to her, "This scenery has always stuck in my mind since we started doing this."

With widened eyes, he turned his head toward her. He could see her pink face from the moonlight, full of content, and her pink eyes closed, feeling the soft summer breeze. She opened them and a small smile grew on her face. Branch's brow scrunched inward as she turned to him.

"It reminds me of a song I sing to all the time," Poppy said as she stood up, careful not to shake the pier anymore. Footprints from her wet feet dampened the wood beneath her. She smiled even bigger as she looked down at him and reached out her right hand.

He cautiously reached out his hand and gently placed his hand in hers. As she helped him up, he asked, "What is the song called, Poppy?"

She looked up at him and anxiously laughed, "Just listen to me and try to keep up, okay?"

Branch nodded his head at her response and waited for her to start.

_"When the night has come and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we see. No, I won't be afraid. No, I won't be afraid; just as long as you stand, stand by me."_

Branch's breath hitched when he remembered the tune. It was the song she was humming to herself earlier that night.

_"And darling, darling, stand by me. Oh, now, now, stand by me. Stand by me. Stand by me."_

He observed the queen sing her heart out to the forest around and the water below, completely mesmerized by her beauty. He was unable to join her, afraid that he might ruin her sweet voice with his. The song that danced in his ear made him realize that she was right. It was about the nights they shared on this very spot.

_"If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall and the mountain should crumble to the sea. I won't cry. I won't cry. No, I won't shed a tear; just as long as you stand, stand by me."_

As each word passed through his ears, his heart sank again, causing him to gaze at the female troll intently. She always looked like a peaceful angel. Her eyes were closed again with the warm wind brushing her hair as she continued to sing. She had both her hands at her sides.

Branch's blue eyes moved from her right hand to his left hand. The distance between them seemed to always shrink every year. With all the courage he could gather, he lifted his left hand and delicately grabbed hers as he started to join in.

_"Whenever you're in trouble, won't you stand by me. Oh, now, now, stand by me. Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me."_

She didn't show any reaction to his gesture except for a smile. They continued to sing together until the song was over.

"Poppy..."

Her eyes moved to the sound of his voice and her head turned to face him.

Eyes still fixated on their linked hands, his heart raced as he spoke through his dried lips. "Did you ever kiss someone?" She smiled softly and lightly shook her head. Another beat passed before he asked, "Who do you have a crush on?"

She lifted their hands and moved them until their fingers interlocked. His breath hitched when she moved closer to him. "I think you already know who it is..." she whispered to him, sharing the same breath.

The two pairs of eyes now locked into each other, not daring to look away. With the same magnetic pull from before, their heads began to lean in until their lips met. Even though the kiss only lasted a couple seconds, it felt like forever. Eventually, Poppy pulled away to look at Branch's pink-tinted face.

She giggled and pulled him in for a hug. "It's you, ya goof... since the very first night..."

Branch was lost in words when he left her embrace to look at the queen. He had no idea that for years she had feelings for him. Once he eventually shook himself out of his trance, he said quietly back, "I... I like you, too."

Poppy gently squeezed his hand from his words and smiled. "What now?" she asked, wondering what reaction the village would have once every troll finds out.

He inhaled deeply and said, "I don't really know. I guess we'll find out in the morning."

"I'm sure everyone will be thrilled! I can't wait to tell all my friends!"

Branch looked at the queen in front of him with nothing but admiration in his blue eyes. "Yeah."

They both smiled at each other as they sat back down on the pier, hands still interlocked.

Closing her tired eyes, she put her head on his shoulder and she whispered through her smiling mouth, "Goodnight, Branch."

He looked down at the girl he fell in love with and caught her contagious smile. With a gentle squeeze of his hand and a delicate kiss on her head, he quietly responded, "Goodnight, Poppy."


End file.
